


stay close to me, and I will not be able to turn away

by acaiis



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Nightmares, Not Beta Read, Oneshot, Pining, Sheik (Legend of Zelda) is a Separate Character, cuddling for warmth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:53:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25161172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acaiis/pseuds/acaiis
Summary: In which Sheik is forced to spend longer than a few minutes with Link before fleeing, and finds himself confronted with feelings he tries to ignore. It’s hard, though, when they’re far too close.
Relationships: Link/Sheik (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 73





	stay close to me, and I will not be able to turn away

Sheik is silent on the other side of the fire. Link watches him bandage his leg with precise movements, the light of the flames casting deep shadows in the folds of his cowl. He has never spoken much to Link, only been a companion from afar, offering help only when needed. And yet he too is suffering, and Link finds that he cannot hate him too much for keeping his distance. Link has seen things he would not wish on anyone else, and Sheik seems to have his own quest. He only wishes the mysterious Sheikah would allow him to help. That is what his purpose is, is it not?

“You are staring, Hero,” Sheik says, and Link flushes. He had spaced out, lost in his thoughts, and now Sheik was done bandaging his leg, moving on to his shoulder. 

“It’s just... I have never seen you for so long. Or like this, I guess.”

Sheik grimaces as he attempts to wind the bandage around his shoulder with little success. That is the reason he is with Link in the first place — he is far to injured to warp away, with his magic, and seems like he will need the help of another to tend to his wounds.

“I can help you bandage that, you know,” Link says, pointedly looking into the fire instead of at Sheik.

“I do not need your help.”

“Your fingers are bleeding, and your arm is injured. There is no way you can wrap your shoulder well like that. Plus, you’re soaking through the bandages just trying to get them on.”

Sheik hisses again as the fabric drags roughly across his injuries, eyebrows drawing together and eyes narrowing in what Link assumes is a scowl. He fights with the bandages a few minutes longer before logic rules over his pride, and he beckons Link over. Link tries to hide his smirk. 

Sheik’s shoulder is torn up, a deep slash left by the quick stroke of a sword. Link settles behind him, unraveling the bandage, and does his best to clean the wound. He does not have any potion, but they will be able to get some tomorrow, he thinks. It is hard to wrap the wound carefully, the barest of brushes causing pain Sheik, frankly, does well to conceal. But even through his mask and cowl the set of his jaw is evident, and Link does not enjoy how much pain he is in.

“I didn’t think you could get hurt,” he jokes.

“I don’t, usually.”

Link is a bit taken aback by the arrogance, but he supposes Sheik is admitting that he is not perfect. Link, despite being the prophesied hero, chosen by the Goddesses, is hurt far more often then he would like. He knows he is far from perfect, spending many fights near dead. The bandage is thankfully easy to tie off, and he tucks it between it’s other layers to further secure it. Some of the tension leaves Sheik’s shoulders, and Link allows his hands to linger a few moments longer. 

“Do you need help with your other wounds?” He asks, and after a moment Sheik sighs slightly.

“Yes,” he say begrudgingly, and Link suppresses another grin. It is certainly progress, even if small. He moves to sit beside Sheik, who wordlessly offers his arm. It’s not as bad as it could be, but all of these will restrict his fighting until they heal. He bandages his arm quickly, putting extra care into it when he starts wrapping the injuries on his hand. Some of the cuts are deep, hastily bound with scraps of fabric likely from in the moment. Link winces as he sees the tangled web of gore. Fighting will be impossible with his hands like this. He glances up at Sheik to find him watching him, red eyes glinting in the fire light. 

“Done,” Link says, shifting uneasily under his gaze, and drops Sheik’s hand to scoot away. The Sheikah watches him a moment longer before turning his attention to his bandages, inspecting them for any flaws. 

“Thank you,” he murmurs, and Link wishes he would talk in longer responses. He wouldn’t be helping Link if he didn’t like him, would he? He supposes that he could be duty bound, or wanting the same goal, and only ever tolerates him. With a yawn, he stretches his arms far over his head and arches his back, Sheik glancing over at him again. 

“We should be able to get potion tomorrow. I can call Epona, once we are out of the forest, and it’s hardly any ride from there.” 

Sheik nods. 

“I’m going to bed. If you hear any laughing children, ignore them. Especially if they seem truly amused.” 

His companion nods again but glances at the forest a bit warily, having never been so deep into the forest that protects the Lost Woods. Really, they are sitting practically right on the border, close enough for the darker things of the forest to be present. With that, he digs around in his bag for a moment, pulling out his bed roll, and spreads it out next to the fire. Sheik follows suit, after another glance towards the darkened trees, and soon they are both lying down under light blankets. 

Sheik’s back is turned to him, and Link finds himself tracing the lines of his shoulders with his eyes. His suit is tight, — far tighter than anything Link would ever agree to wear — conforming to every bit of his body. He shifts, and his shoulder blades shift too. It takes Link a long moment to realize that he is staring, and squints at Sheik’s turned form. He wonders what secrets Sheik feels so strongly that he must protect, by never speaking more than he needs, or in cryptic little quips that leave Link baffled. If he is so set on helping Link, why not let Link help him? 

He falls asleep still pondering Sheik and his independence, feeling as though he is awoken only moments later. Sheik is leaning over him, startlingly red eyes staring down at him. His uninjured hand is resting on his chest, the other tucked into his side awkwardly, probably to try to suppress the pain.

“Time to go.”

Link grunts and sits up, Sheik finally moving backwards as he does so. He can breath again, and a sets about quickly packing up his bedding. They are walking though the forest as the sun is slowly rising, still obscured by the thick branches of the forest. Finally, the trees break, and Link pulls his ocarina from his hip. He can feel Sheik watching him as he plays, and does his best to ignore the prickling sensation. Epona gallops up a moment later, draining Link’s magic with a familiar tug. He greets Epona, murmuring a hello to her as he strokes her nose. 

“We’ll be traveling pretty fast, so you’ll want to hold on,” he tells Sheik, swinging up onto Epona. Sheik nods and takes his extended hand, probably grimacing beneath his mask as he pulls himself up. It takes them a few minutes to get Sheik situated, and then he’s wrapping an arm around Link’s middle, chest pressed to his back. Suddenly, Link finds it hard to breathe. 

They reach Kakariko late in the day, but thankfully it is early enough for the merchants they need to be open. He purchases a red potion each for the pair of them, and a few as backups for when he will inevitably need them later. Sheik thanks him quietly, and they are able to pay for a room in the inn for the night. There are two small beds, each tucked against the walls on either side of the small room. Despite how small they are, Link flops down onto one face down and doesn’t move for a good few minutes. He rolls over with a groan, catching sight of Sheik sitting on the side of his own bed, taking off his armor. 

Link groans and drags himself into a sitting position, roughly removing his boots and pulling his shirt over his head, chainmail coming with it. He kicks off his pants, leaving him only in his underwear, and clumsily crawls under the covers. 

“Do you always sleep in your hat?” Sheik says lightly, and Link sits up to look at him. He shakes his head. 

“Pretty much ,” he says, and gently takes the hat off, revealing the fairy . “Navi sleeps there. Warmest place for her. Or coolest, depending on where we are.” 

“Ah.”

He gently replaces the cap, and buries his face into the pillow. After a moment, he hears the rustles of Sheik following suit, and allows himself to drift off. It has been far, far too long since he has slept in a proper bed. 

He is allowed an extra hour to sleep, the sun already risen, Sheik getting dressed by the time he stirs. 

“Morning,” he murmurs drowsily, and pulls himself up to raise his arms over his head in a massive stretch. His cap is leaning haphazardly on his head, and he gently tugs it off, Navi fluttering out as he does and chiming wordlessly at Sheik. The Sheikah offers a nod, returning to his bandages, which need adjustments. 

“How did the red potion work?” Link asks, searching around for his shirt. 

“Amply,” Sheik responds shortly, and Link tries not to sigh. 

“Some of the bones are still knitting back together?” 

“Yes. My hand was quite crushed under all the cuts.” 

He sounds just slightly surprised, and Link finds himself a little smug, having identified Sheik’s wounds without being told of them.

“Your shoulder was dislocated — those are the worst, really, with the dull aching.”

Sheik regards him with a curious look, but says no more. 

“Will you be traveling with us now, Sheik?” Navi asks hopefully, fluttering over from wherever she had just been. Sheik glances at her glowing form, and does not respond for a few moments. 

“I may have to, for the time being,” he says slowly. 

“Good! Link and I always thought it was stupid of you to run off all the time, if we could be working together. You’re not very old, are you?”

Sheik regards Navi, hiding how taken aback he is by the sudden barrage behind a cool look. 

“No. I am not much older than the Hero.” 

“Eleven?” Navi asks incredulously, and Link scowls. 

“Navi, I told you that I’ve grown. Do I look eleven to you?”

The fairy hums and doesn’t answer, Link scowling further. She seems to take amusement in his annoyance, and flits about happily as he tugs his boots on. Sheik cannot help but be a little amused. They thank the innkeeper, Sheik ignoring the odd glance from the other patrons. He knows ‘his kind’ is not well liked by those outside of Kakariko, but he supposes it doesn’t matter. When he dies, the Sheikah die with him. 

He has traveled behind Link, with him only from afar, and being alongside him is a far cry from all the months before now. Link is upbeat and energetic and a little clumsy, bumbling along, chatting with almost everyone he sees. Sheik suddenly remembers the years stripped from his life, forced into a role he should not have to bear the weight of. 

Sheik cannot bring himself to leave once his wounds heal. Navi flits about as they prepare for the day, Link offering him a broad grin when he looks up from his leather gantlets and notices Sheik staring. Sheik offers a half smile in return, and then remembers that his mask is in place. He is sure to Link, who is open and gentle, Sheik’s privacy, how he hides nearly everything about himself, is off-putting. 

“So where to today?” he asks, and Sheik puts his thoughts to the side. 

“You have two more temples to conquer, hero, and you have yet to make an effort towards them.”

Link frowns. 

“I am! You only got hurt right after the fire temple, so it hasn’t been that long. And anyways, I’m sure the next temple is far away and hard to get to, because that’s how all of them have been so far.”

“Link,” Sheik says slowly, “the Shadow Temple is in Kakariko.”

Link blanches. Navi laughs, and his shock is quickly forgotten in favor of a scowl. 

“It’s not my fault! I didn’t know!” He insists to the fairy, who darts around just out of reach. 

It is after the Shadow Temple that Sheik realizes Link makes him feel more than friendship. He has been trained to put these feelings away, and the first part of that is admittance. Really, though, how had he gotten here? 

Link is a beacon in a tumultuous sea, a haven from the world and all that Sheik has been subjected to. He grew up in a war, watched his people die and leave him the sole survivor. Been raised to kill, to be the perfect soldier, quick and efficient and good at what he does, and more than that to be expendable. He knows that Zelda does not view him as such, but it is the fact of the matter. And then Link showed up, after waking from a seven year coma, and blew that all up. He makes him feel like he matters, and that scares Sheik. He should not feel fear.

They are on their way to the spirit temple, and something in Link changes. Sheik asks him about it one night as they make camp, protected from the harsh desert climate by the highlands still, and he shakes his head. It worries Sheik, because Link has never shied away from talking to him, always shared his mind. Navi too, is oddly quiet, having already tried to cheer Link up. Sheik wants to say something, but the two parts of his mind fight an internal war before Link’s well-being wins out. They cannot have a hero who is compromised in any way, can they? 

“Link. Something is bothering you.”

Link shrugs, looking a bit confused himself. 

“Dunno,” he says, eloquently, and Sheik tries not to sigh. Sometimes he lapses back into child-like mannerisms, despite how obviously his mind and body had matured while he slept. He supposes it’s to try and find normalcy, in a world Link is still adjusting too. It is sad, that someone so young has so much put on him from such an early age, but he doubts an adult would be so adaptable. 

“I think you know what it is that is causing you unrest,” Sheik pushes, and Link sighs. 

“It’s just... I’m getting closer to fighting Ganondorf, only one more temple left, and it... scares me, I guess. What if I fail now? What if all this isn’t enough? What if I get to Ganondorf and he kills me without a fight?”

Sheik doesn’t know how to respond, at first. Link sighs somewhat miserably, and Sheik frowns beneath his mask. 

“You will not fail, I promise.” 

“Thanks, Sheik,” Link says, and offers a half-hearted smile, but he does not seem any more assured. Sheik watches as he lays down and turns on his side, and stares after his back for a long while. Link is still not asleep, after a good amount of time, but Sheik cannot stay up any longer, so he rolls over and closes his eyes. 

Link returns from the spirit temple perturbed. Sheik does not ask, because it does not seem like Link want to talk about it. He is increasingly worried over the hero, his mood lulling from the positivity Sheik had come to expect. 

Sheik awakens that night to the sound of Link’s ocarina. He is playing a song Sheik hasn’t heard, a happy, fast paced melody, but something about the way he plays it seems distinctly sad. A quick scan tells him that the fire is still going strongly (he’d be annoyed if it wasn’t, in this cold), and Link is opposite of him, sitting with his back to the fire and bundled in his blankets. Sheik sits up too, pulling his blankets around him, and listens as Link plays. 

Link’s song ends up melding with a new melody that Sheik recognizes, playing that for a while before taking a break. He starts up with a new song, and cycles through a few more before laying his ocarina to rest beside him. Sheik doesn’t even try to hide the fact that he’s up. It would be easy to lie back down, quiet and fast, before Link notices him. He doubts he would notice his breathing, even if he hadn’t been trained to feign unconsciousness.

Link turns around, wrapping the ocarina up in a scrap of fabric. He glances up, briefly, then has to do a double take, starling when he notices Sheik’s eyes on him. His hand immediately strays for his sword, lying nearby, but he recognizes Sheik and stops. 

“What are you doing?” He exclaims, indignant, the light from the fire making his face look warm and open. 

“I woke up,” Sheik says simply, and Link frowns. 

“Alright.”

He lays down in his own bedrolls and after Sheik follows suit, making sure his blanket doesn’t shift and let in too much cold air. Goddess, it’s freezing out here. 

“Why didn’t you say something?” Link asks after a while.

“Hmm?”

“Could’ve told me that you woke up.”

“I didn’t want to disturb you.” 

“You wouldn’t’ve,” Link says quietly, and seems to effectively fall asleep, leaving Sheik to question those words. 

If they had thought the desert was cold before, setting out from the Spirit Temple was miserable. Link shivered violently, wrapped in every bit of clothing he had and all of his bedroll, and Sheik was trying valiantly not to quiver. 

“Too bad we can’t warp,” Navi sighs, and Sheik carefully does not glare. For being so excited about his presence when he first began to travel more closely with them, she sure is finding many qualms with him now. Can she even feel the cold? In any case, she retreats under Link’s cap and does not sy anything more. 

Link shuddered, teeth chattering, and tugged more tightly at his blankets. With how cold it was, there was no way they could get through the night like they were. Sheik pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He picked up his stuff and carefully walked over to Link, dragging his mat over and trying to to drop the blanket wrapped around his shoulders. 

“What’re you doing?” Link asked, tailoring his face up to him. Sheik sat down beside him, scootching closer and gesturing for Link to do the same. When Link just stared back at him with confusion, he sighed again.

“It‘ll be less cold if we share body heat.” 

“Oh.” Link nods, and shifts closer so that their sides were brushing. Preparing himself for a moment beforehand, Sheik works himself up to taking off his shirt while undoing the straps. He pulls it over his head and quickly pulls the blankets back over himself. Link startles beside him.

“Why are you taking your clothes off? Aren’t you trying to be warm?”

“Body heat is best exchanged through skin to skin contact,” he says matter of factly, focused on kicking his pants off without letting in too much cold air. Link stares at him a moment longer. “Take your clothes off, hero.”

“Right,” Link says, but it’s another few moments before he does. Soon they’re both stripped down to only undergarments and Link is scowling. Sheik closes his eyes before lifting a large part of his blankets and throwing them over Link, burrowing in closer as the cold air hits. Before Link reacts he is lifting the hero’s blankets and slipping beneath those, legs and arms bumping into Link’s.

“Oh. Um. You’re very close.”

“That is the point, hero.”

“Um.”

Sheik closes his eyes in lieu of rolling them and presses closer to Link.

“It’ll probably be more comfortable if I just- yeah, just-“ He threads his arms around Link and they’re chest to chest, practically cuddling (they really are, but Sheik would like to pretend otherwise). Link is surprisingly warm, for all his shivering, and Sheik tries not to move. The pair of them are tense and barely breathing, too scared to intrude on the other.

“You’re right, it is warmer,” Link says after a while. Sheik hums in response and tries not to think about how close they are. It was a necessary course of action. They could not freeze to death due to pride. Link seems to be falling asleep, relaxing into his embrace incrementally. Sheik doubts that he himself will be finding sleep, but allows himself to relax somewhat as well. Then Link’s forehead drops to his shoulder, hot breath fanning over his skin, and he freezes. They had to do this. Link was far too close, and Sheik found himself wanting him closer. He curses at himself, squeezing his eyes shut, and focuses on his breathing. In. Out. Again. 

He cannot move without disturbing the little warmth they had or worse, waking Link. The hero was sleeping, sure, but not deeply as of yet. So he stays unmoving, unable to focus on anything other than Link’s breath on his skin. He shouldn’t have agreed to travel with them. Surely his wounds could have been treated elsewhere, maybe if — really, he knows that the reason he stayed wasn’t about his injuries. He’d taken a liking to Link far before he realized, hadn’t he?

The sun is bright and piercing, shining directly into Sheik’s eyes off of the sand. He groans, shivering a bit at the chill on his cheeks, and tries to stretch. Instead, he is met with resistance in the form of Link, who has an arm over his hip and is pressed along his front. Right. Sheik’s own arms are still around the hero, one of them more or less pinned. He won’t be going anywhere soon, unwilling to wake the boy sleeping beside him. Somehow, this is worse than the night before. It’s too intimate, all wrapped around each other half-naked. At ease. They are so rarely at ease. 

“Fuck,” Sheik breathes, and drops his head back down. He lays there, and some traitorous part of him enjoys it. That part of him wants to turn his face into Link’s hair and go back to sleep, to tighten his grip about the hero and pull him closer. It’s a larger part of him then he’d like to admit. Maybe he does readjust his embrace just a little bit.

Link breathes in deeply, muscles tightening as he recoils from the light.

“Nngh.” He nuzzles into Sheik’s neck, still half asleep, and Sheik’s heart all but about stops. 

“Hero,” Sheik says after a moment, waiting for him to fully wake up and realize what he’d done. Instead he makes a little noise, almost like a whine, and readjusts his grip on Sheik. 

“Hero,” he says again, louder, and lightly hits his back.

Link groans and shifts again, more or less dragging his lips over Sheik’s skin. He should have just kept his cowl on with his mask. Then he wouldn’t be in this situation. Sheik squirms and Link seems to be closer to waking up.

“Link!” He growls, and the hero finally wakes up.

“What?” He murmurs, practically into Sheik’s neck, and stretches a bit. For a moment, he curls his hand over Sheik’s hip, lips brushing over his skin in what almost could be considered a kiss, and seems oblivious to the situation. Sheik stares down at him, horrified, as he slowly blinks, squinting back up at Sheik. 

“...’Lo.” 

Sheik stares back incredulously, heart pounding wildly. Link’s eyes go comically wide and he tries to scramble away, but they’re hopelessly tangled and all he succeeds in is yanking Sheik’s arm painfully.

“Gah-“ Sheik chokes out, unable to draw his arm back from where it’s pinned under Link. 

“Oh no- I’m so sorry. I’m- let me-“

“Stop,” Sheik cuts in, a little high pitched, and Link finally stills, wide-eyed and concerned. “You’re on my arm.”

“I’m so sorry, Sheik,” Link says, carefully lifting his torso so that Sheik can pull his arm away. Sheik shakes his head, rubbing at his arm and making sure nothing got pulled, carefully avoiding eye contact. Link is staring at him, concerned and shame-faced. By the Goddess, how did this happen? 

“I, uh,” he swallows. “I didn’t mean to, um. When we woke up, I-“

“Hero, it’s fine. It’s very cold out... it is only natural that we would move towards warmth.”

“Ah. Thanks,” Link says, nodding awkwardly. Sheik’s notes the pink that dusts his face and forces himself to look away, not trusting himself not to stare. 

“Why have you been calling me Hero so much lately? I mean, more than usual.”

Oh. He had, hadn’t he? If he had to guess, it was because Hero was less personal than using Link. Distanced him from the other boy more. Instead, he says, “Oh. I hadn’t noticed,” and turns away, searching for his clothes to replace Link’s heat. 

They dress in silence, then lie under the blankets until the sun starts to warm the desert enough to emerge. Camp is packed up quickly and they start walking without a word, forgoing breakfast to save firewood in case they end up needing it again tonight. 

He can’t do this much longer. He finds himself revisiting those moments where Link was wrapped up in his arms, face in the crook of his neck, breath hot over his skin and his arm over his side. How he had pressed in closer while half-asleep, content to stay in his arms... Thrice, Sheik was in trouble. He couldn’t allow himself to get distracted by this. It was not allowed; a risk he could not take in an already unstable situation. But Goddesses, if he didn’t enjoy it just that little bit.

He curses himself for the thought. 

They get accosted by a horde of monsters and find themselves shivering once more as the light dims, Link struggling to light a fire. Sheik paces, trying to keep warm before the cold really sets in. They both know what’s coming, but avoid it until the last possible moment. The bedrolls are unpacked and laid out in silence, blankets piled on top, and they look at each other across it.

“We should probably get in now. Best to get warm before it gets as cold as last night.”

“Yeah. Er, that sounds good.” 

Sheik pulls his shirt off and kicks his pants off, getting under the covers as fast as humanly possible. He shivers violently for a few moments before Link joins him, cursing under his breath at the cold. When they warm up a bit they end up facing each other, Link searching his face and Sheik staring back. 

“So. Um. Should we....?”

“Yes, I think so. It’ll be best if... yeah.”

Link moves in, keeping his hands carefully tucked into his chest, and his legs brush into Sheik’s. At the warmth Sheik’s body acts on its own, chasing after it, and their legs end up more firmly pressed together. Sheik wriggles closer, their hands and arms touching, close enough to feel his breath stir his hair. 

“This isn’t going to scare you away, is it?” Link asks quietly, and Sheik inhales sharply. He had been thinking of that, probably would have followed through with it if it wasn’t for the smallness of his voice. 

“No,” he says slowly, after a moment, and Link bites at the inside of his cheek. 

“It seems like it,” Link responds, and Sheik frowns. 

“Hero. Link.”

Link meets his eyes.

“I will not leave your side. I swear on my life and honor as a Sheikah.” 

Link’s face twists into an odd expression Sheik can’t quite place. He opens his mouth to speak then closes it again, looking lost. Sheik brushes his knuckles across Link’s in an affirming gesture, and Link’s eyes meet his own, open and vulnerable. His stomach twists and something rises in his throat, and he lets himself shift a bit closer. Link searches his face, eyebrows drawn together, and Sheik keeps on breathing, trying not to let his eyes flick down to his lips. 

Finally, Link nods and breaks eye contact, and Sheik lets out a shuddering breath as his eyes skip closed. He steadies out his breathing and opens his eyes again, finding Link staring at their hands. It was getting colder, and being just near each other wouldn’t cut it anymore. Sheik taps the back of Link’s hand with his own.

“It’s getting cold.”

Link nods before saying, “Yeah.”

Sheik shifts, lifting an arm to loop over Link, and is surprised when Link automatically shifts in, fitting against his chest like he was made to be above his heart. Sheik tentatively worms his other arm beneath him, and Link shifts closer.

“Don’t pull my arm out of my socket again this morning, yeah?”

Link lets out a startled laugh, short and loud, and Sheik blinks. He was ever so alluring. His eyes flick down to his mouth, open in an easy grin, and he looks away just as quickly. He’s just so good. Despite everything, he remained a source of light in a dark world. More than just being destined to save them, he made Sheik... happy. Made him smile under his mask, surprised chuckles out of him, gave him reasons to relax. He’s smiling now, softly, and something in him aches.

Link is staring at him again, eyebrows just slightly furrowed as he studies Sheik’s face. Sheik quirks an eyebrow at him, questioning. Already the brief relaxation is giving was to awkwardness. Link frowns a bit.

“Why’d you wear your cowl tonight?” 

“Ah. In light of what happened this morning, I thought it best to prevent such a thing happening again.”

“Oh,” Link says, somewhat miserably. Sheik is confused — he almost sounded disappointed. Why would he be disappointed about that? Sheik frowns. They fall silent for a while, awkwardly avoiding eye contact. Link’s arm has ended up over his side again, likely out of comfort, and he mindlessly starts running his fingers up and down Sheik’s back. Sheik stiffens at the touch, but doesn’t say anything, as Link doesn’t seem to be aware he’s even doing it. 

Unnoticed by himself, Sheik starts to relax, lulled by the gentle brushing of Link’s fingers. His eyes start to drift closed, breathing slowing as he relaxes into the warmth. He blinks, slowly, to find Link watching him with a curious expression in his face Sheik can’t quite place again — the same one as earlier. 

“You look really peaceful,” Link whispers, but it doesn’t quite sound like the words he says. It sounds like he’s thinking something else. 

“Mmm?” Sheik hums, in lieu of a response.

“Normally you’re more stressed out. Like something is gonna attack us at any time.”

“It very well could.”

“Yeah, I mean- but. You just... you look good, like this.”

Sheik is more thankful than ever for his mask in that moment, covering the blush that comes unbidden. 

“Oh, is that so?” He says, and tries not to choke on the words. 

“Yeah,” Link says, softly, far too tenderly. Sheik inhales sharply. He’s making things up, isn’t he? There’s no way Link had said it with quite so much meaning. He offers Link a smile, remembers his mask, and opts for letting the conversation end there. Link looks a bit faraway, now, and Sheik notices that his hand has stopped brushing over his back. 

Goddess, he hates this. It’s torturous, being so close to him... and yet he enjoys it far too much. He tries to close his eyes, ignore it all, thankfully drifting off into sleep that is far too content. 

He wakes to a panicked gasp and thrashing Link. 

“Link? Link!” 

“No- Fuck, I- No, ugh-“ 

Link glances around wildly, reaching out blindly for a sword that isn’t there, and Sheik shivers with the sudden loss of blankets. He grabs Links hands, forcing them to still, and gets Link to focus on him.

“Link. It’s okay. It was just a dream. Link.”

Link zeros in on him, eyes still wide and wild, chest heaving. 

“Sheik?” he says, choking on the syllable. Sheik nods and he searches his face frantically before collapsing forward into Sheik’s chest, clinging desperately to him.

“Umph- Hey, are you okay? Hero?”

Faint tremors wrack his body, and his hands slip down his shoulder blades a few times before he manages to grab on. Sheik’s arms come up and around him, tentatively drawing him closer, and Link shakes again. 

“Nightmare?” Sheik asks gently, and Link nods into his chest. He guides them back down and pulls the blankets over them, gently rubbing at Link’s back as he feels himself slipping back asleep. Link’s breathing evens back out before his, and Sheik tugs him closer, resting his face in his hair. He’ll offer this, and hope it doesn’t start to hurt too much.

It becomes a habit. They’re out of the desert, camped in the woods now, trying to figure out a way across Hyrule Field without being caught. They go to sleep separately, but Sheik is awoken by Link getting up and dragging his things over. The hero still has a few tears on his face, and Sheik shifts over and puts an arm around him when he settles into his chest. 

They don’t really speak of it. They continue to travel, assessing the area, seeking out heart pieces, helping out the common folk where they can. At night, Link crawls under his blankets, and Sheik finds himself welcoming it. Then one night they are sitting next to each other, thighs brushing, watching the fire burn.

“Hey, Sheik?”

“Yes?”

“I just wanted to... We’ll be going to the castle soon, and I...” he pauses, eyebrows drawn together. He worries at his lip before glancing up at Sheik. There’s that strange look again, the one he sees when he catches Link unaware or it’s too late at night for him to care about hiding it. Link shifts closer to him, so that their sides a pressed together, and searches his face.

Sheik’s heart stops beating when Link’s hand brushes against his face, thumb sweeping over his cheek before cradling the side of his face in his palm. 

“Link? What are you doing?”

Their breaths sound loud in Sheik’s ears, and he’s aware of every movement. Link’s eyes flick down to his mask. 

“I don’t know,” he says, and drops his hand. 

“Shit, sorry Sheik- I don’t-“

He could not have imagined that. This was no longer wishful thinking- he was trained to identify everything about a person, and here he was, pretending like he didn’t see the way Link had just look at him. He grabs Link’s arm before he can pull away, tugs down his mask with two fingers, and leans in before Link has a chance to react.

Link’s lips are soft under his own, and he savors the brief moment before pulling away from the chaste kiss. Link is startled, wide-eyes and frozen like a deer, staring back at Sheik.

“You...?” 

Sheik starts to doubt himself. Maybe Link was just over-affectionate. He grew up with a bunch of children — perhaps they were more physical in their relationships, holding hands and falling asleep together as children often did. 

“You’re beautiful,” Link breathes then, and Sheik stops. Maybe beautiful isn’t the word he’d prefer, but Link’s vocabulary has never been the best. Suddenly Link is leaning back in, a hand coming up to curl around the back of his neck, and Sheik barely thinks. 

This time it’s more of a proper kiss instead of just pressing their lips together. Link’s lips move over his own, pulling lightly at his bottom lip. Unthinkingly, he winds a hand into his hair and tugs, pressing further in to the kiss — he has been wanting to do that for so long. Link gasps as the kiss becomes open mouthed, wet lips sliding against each other in such a foreign way, but not unwelcome. His mouth is hot and pliant under his own, and he kisses desperately. Link bites at his lip, suddenly, nibbling at it, and Sheik freezes for a moment, not expecting it. But it feels good so they keep going, chasing each other’s mouths.

When they pull apart, his lips are swollen, parted just so as he pants for air. Sheik drinks him in, wanting to kiss him again just for how lovely he looks in the moment, all mussed up. Link traces his lips with his thumb, pulling at the skin, and Sheik lets him. He thinks he would let Link do whatever he wanted, right now. His hand slips upwards again, fingers slipping into his hair, and his thumb sweeps over the tattoos under his eye, normally half-hidden by his bangs and mask. It’s unfinished, for now, a long thin triangle that cuts down the middle of his cheek flanked by two smaller outlines, inked in a deep red.

“The mark of a warrior,” he murmurs, and Link hums, eyes intent on it. Sheik grabs his shirt with the hand not wound up in his hair and tugs him back into a kiss. They’re messy and inexperienced, but it doesn’t seem to matter and they get the hang of it as they go. It’s a while before they stop, Link with a ridiculously warm grin on his face, and Sheik shivers as the chill of the night starts to hit him. 

“We should get some sleep,” he says, fiddling with the hem of his mask — it has not been down in years, he thinks, except to clean. Link grabs his hand and pulls it away from his face, then pulls him awkwardly over to the bedrolls, pushing them together as he goes. They end up wrapped in a pile of blankets like in the desert, Sheik’s mask uncomfortable around his neck. Link is smiling at him again and he smiles softly back, letting Link kiss him again. 

“You should take your mask off,” he says softly, and Sheik makes a questioning face at him.

“It is off.”

“I mean, it looks a little uncomfortable like that. There’s no one out here — no one else will see.”

“You never know.”

“Sheik... it can’t be comfortable wearing it every day and night. Please? I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.” 

“...Fine,” Sheik relents, and Link smiles gently. He pulls the mask over his head, mussing up his hair, and sets it aside carefully. When he looks back at Link, he is met with an all too soft expression. Link winds a hand into his hair, cupping the back of his head, and leaves it there. Well, for a while, at least, and then he draws it away to thrash around and pull his tunic and undershirt off. 

They fall asleep with Link wrapped up in Sheik’s arms, a hand draped over his shoulder. Sheik wakes up first (as per usual) and almost pushes Link away before remembering the night before. Instinctively, his hands come up to touch his face — his mask is gone. Link is snuggled up to him, forehead resting against his collarbone and warm breath washing over his skin, and he allows himself a soft smile. He runs a hand through his hair and presses a kiss there afterwards.

“It’s about time,” Navi complains, and Sheik flinches. He’d forgotten about the fairy in that moment. He glances up at her — fairies don’t really show emotion that is recognizable, but Sheik is certain she’s smug as anything. He scowls and keeps the lower half of his face hidden in Link’s hair, glaring at her until she concedes and flits away with an, “Alright, alright!”

Link wakes up slowly, muscles shifting under Sheik’s arms as he does. He blinks a few times, slowly, before looking up at Sheik and grinning softly. 

“Hello,” he murmurs, and presses upwards to kiss him. In that moment, the world falls away and Sheik feels... like Sheik, really. He has taken so little time for himself in the past eight years, and now it all fades into background noise, of just for a moment. Link pulls away, still with that ridiculously soft smile on his face, and Sheik ducks his head bashfully. 

“I like seeing your face,” he says, and Sheik quirks an eyebrow at him, barely suppressing a grin. Link just smiles and rests his face against Sheik’s chest again, wrapping his arms around his torso. It’s far too much of a luxury, and yet....

He kisses Link again, letting the worries and thoughts of decorum fall from his mind. He’s wanted this for so long, now, and it feels foolish to doubt it now that it’s real. Link smiles into the kiss and winds a hand into his hair, pulling it from it’s braid, and for a moment, everything is alright.

**Author's Note:**

> Yo! I’m working my way through an OOT series right now, so you’ll have to excuse my minimal knowledge of the game. I just really love Sheik... This is sickeningly indulgent cuddling, tbh. Also, as a note, when Navi is complaining abt not being able to warp it’s because Sheik they can’t warp as a group. Earlier, he is unable to warp due to his injuries — he cant focus on the magic necessary. Sorry, felt the need to sort of explain that bc it’s sorta plot-hole-y? Not that there’s really a plot here.
> 
> Also! If you can’t tell, writing kisses is sort of a weak point for me — I always end up with sort of choppy, weirdly flowing sentences if I go into any more detail than “they kissed”. So.


End file.
